JELLYFISH, SLEEP AND THE BRAIN

On Saturday (Sept. 22, 2017) on Quirks and Quarks, a segment reported on research into whether jellyfish sleep or not.

Jellyfish were chosen because they are simpler organisms which would be easier to study. Apparently, these jelly fish react much more slowly to stimuli (e.g. being dropped into a tank of water) AT NIGHT.

After being disturbed at night, they are more sluggish in reactions for a couple of days.

The scientists theorize that jellyfish require ‘sleep’ to regenerate the chemicals to make their neurotransmitters function.

Years ago, I read a scientist who was doing research on sleep and he found that the flow of cerebral spinal fluid flooded in much more during the night. Cerebral spinal fluid could be removing toxins and brining nutrients.

Do you suppose that the reason we need sleep is to regenerate the neurotransmitter chemicals in our brains?

Do you suppose that deficiencies of nutrients to build neurotransmitters might cause ‘brain fog’ or other cognitive effects?

I know that I have always required more than the 8 hours a night and said so even when people boasted about needing very little sleep. According to these experts, there is no such thing as a person who NEEDS little sleep. There are lots of people who CANNOT sleep enough.

Check out your nutrients to make sure you have what you need to make neurotransmitters.